City, bayou partnership working to make park accessible

By Bob Phillips and Andrew Icken

Updated 6:01 pm, Tuesday, July 24, 2012

With regard to the editorial "By the bayou; we like the plans for Buffalo Bayou Park but it should be easier to get there" (Page B8, July 18), the Buffalo Bayou Partnership and the city of Houston are actively exploring how to improve safety, accessibility and parking.

The Buffalo Bayou Park Master Plan outlines very specific ways to create better and safer public access to Buffalo Bayou Park from Shepherd Street to Sabine Street. The proposed solutions that are outlined in the Master Plan will require effective use of city property and collaboration with the city of Houston and developers in the surrounding neighborhoods. Examples include new pedestrian crosswalks to allow safer access into the park and improvements to Allen Parkway to increase parking.

Our goal is to finalize our strategy now so when the construction is complete in 2015, we can welcome people who are walking, biking, using public transportation or driving.

As the Houston Chronicle pointed out in the June 30, 2012, editorial "Stringing the beads; grant will allow Houston to connect recreational bike paths for safe commuting" (Page B6), trail connectivity to Buffalo Bayou is improving significantly. The Chronicle also pointed out in a May editorial that "over 50 percent of area residents would prefer to live within walking - or biking - distance of work, shopping and entertainment, a more livable walkable city." We agree with these observations. They are part of the vision we have been working on for more than 25 years. Thousands of people are already using Buffalo Bayou Park today, but it is important to improve access so that even more people may enjoy it once it is complete.

We also would like to clarify and respond to a few points from your editorial:

- This Buffalo Bayou Park project is raising a significant amount of private sector donations. We now expect more than $50 million will be spent on park improvements. Donations continue to be made by civic leaders and institutions who believe in the vision of transforming this park for Houston.

- To date, we have identified a combined 1,900 parking spaces within, adjacent to or within easy walking distance of the completed park. Of these, 170 will be within the park (an increase from 30 today), and 1,100 spaces are planned or available in existing spaces, such as two city of Houston lots adjacent to the park

- We are also reaching out to adjacent property owners to explore shared parking opportunities.

Buffalo Bayou Park is the continuation of a decades-long process of improvements by Buffalo Bayou Partnership, which include the Sabine Promenade, Sesquicentennial Park, Allen's Landing, East End Trails and Buffalo Bend Nature Park. Buffalo Bayou Partnership and the city of Houston continue to work diligently to make the vision for our beloved bayou a reality.

Phillips is chairman of the Buffalo Bayou Partnership; Icken is chief development officer of the city of Houston.